OGDEN — As part of the yearlong centennial anniversary celebration at Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden Musical Theatre will ring in the witching season with an original stage adaptation of a gothic horror classic.

“Dracula” — adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel and directed by Jennifer Westfall — will run from Oct. 17-20 at the theater. Kassi Bybee, OMT’s executive director and general manager of Peery’s Egyptian Theater, said the production is the ideal event to mark the occasion.

“As we enter our eighth season, Ogden Musical Theatre has grown tremendously. What started as a single production in 2017 has expanded into a full season with three diverse shows and a thriving Kids Theatre Camp. Our goal is to continue fostering a love for the arts in the community while providing professional-level performances,” Bybee said. “With Peery’s Egyptian Theater celebrating its 100th anniversary, we wanted to bring something iconic to the stage, and ‘Dracula’ fits perfectly. It’s a classic story that resonates with audiences of all generations and it is our very first straight (nonmusical) play.”

For Westfall, penning her original “Dracula” adaptation and bringing it to production is a process that has unfolded over two years. However, her connection to the titular character and his story goes all the way back to childhood.

“I was 8 or 9 when I saw the movie on TV, probably at Halloween because that’s the only time they ever played it. And I remember being super scared and really liking it,” Westfall said. “When I was 12, my dad took me to see the play. And after I saw that, I just knew that I wanted to be an actor. It really set me on a weird path, but it’s good. I like my path.”

Andrew Heyward will follow in the footsteps of Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman and others by donning the Count’s cloak. In doing so, he hopes to inject a dose of realism into the horror by illustrating “the mind of a predator.”

“I believe that, by the end of the show, there’s gonna be six or seven of these different scenarios that I would hope — not because I want them to feel a negative feeling — but I think an audience member will look and say, ‘You know what? I’ve seen a guy kind of be like that,'” Heyward said.

Said Westfall: “I think it was Bela Lugosi who was asked in an interview if he believed in vampires and he said, ‘Yes, I married three of them.’ I believe in vampires that are emotional vampires.”

While “Dracula” is a fixture of the pop culture zeitgeist — something that people everywhere and of all ages engage with, particularly around Halloween — Westfall stresses that this production is not intended for children, advising parents to use their best judgment.

“Actually, it’s my hope that we lose a few every night,” she joked. “Not literally, but that they go running from the theater with their children and say, ‘I shouldn’t have brought my 9-year-old. What was I thinking?’ That would be the best.”

As its name implies, OMT has traditionally specialized in musical theatre, but “Dracula” is slated to be a different beast entirely. Westfall and her cast have designs on telling a legitimately scary story with some mature themes.

The theater’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” organ, atmospheric lighting and unique acoustics will, of course, enhance the experience, but, ultimately, it’s all about the narrative the actors are presenting.

“There’s music, there’s underscoring and there’s sound effects, but I think we’ve gotten away from the storytelling; the ghost stories around the campfire, the ones that really scared us,” Westfall said.

Added Heyward: “As a child, I loved just listening to someone tell a story, you know? … I truly hope it’s an immersive experience and it feels like people are able to step into something that they are a little bit a part of and that they are not just kind of watching a show, but they are witnessing a live telling of a true ghost story.”

For more information, including showtimes, or to purchase advance tickets, go to https://www.ogdenpet.com/events/2024/dracula.